Tweet announcing trade of NBA superstar Damian Lillard to Milwaukee uses Calgary skyline as stand in

A tweet announcing the trade of Portland's Damian Lillard to Milwaukee featured the Calgary skyline in the background. (Photo: X@NBAonTNT)

Calgary stood in for Metropolis in a couple of Superman flicks in the late 70s. It stood in for the end of the world in HBO's The Last of Us.

So what if it stood in for Milwaukee in a tweet announcing the trade of NBA superstar Damian Lillard?

That's exactly what happened Wednesday, when @NBAonTNT, the television home of Charles Barkley and Kenny the Jet Smith, tweet-announced that "The Trail Blazers are trading Damian Lillard to the Bucks, per @wojespn."

The tweet featured a photo of a mock-up of Lillard next to Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo standing against a backdrop of a modern downtown skyline that turned out to be Calgary.

That prompted @downtowncalgary to tweet "Great time to announce that the Milwaukee Bucks are moving to Calgary (apparently). Welcome @Giannis_An34 @Dame_Lillard!

"I googled Milwaukee skyline and looked at quite a few images," tweeted @Plan-Prep_Live. "There was nothing with a look-alike Bow Building. Nice city, though. Def Calgary."

 

@ScotterD79, who seemed to know what he was talking about, said the skyline was definitely Calgary but was in fact an old photo.

"A few new buildings are missing," he wrote. "The curve roof building in the bottom left is Centennial Place West Tower the same view today is obscured by the Eau Claire Tower. Brookfield Place is also missing."

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard brings the ball up against the New York Knicks during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)

One newsroom speculator at CTV Calgary suggested the problem may have been that the photo was likely AI-generated, as Lillard has not actually posed for any photos in a Bucks uniform with Antetokounmpo by the time the trade was announced.

An NBA on TNT spokesperson thanked CTV Calgary for pointing out the issue but offered no explanation or statement on what happened.

All of which led to speculation that if Lillard really has his heart set on playing hoops in Calgary, the CEBL's Surge might be the perfect place for him.

"Dame time for the Surge confirmed," tweeted CTV Calgary's Jordan Kanygin, who instigated the whole thing.

CTV Calgary has reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks for comment but hasn't heard back at time of publication.